Ayodhya: The Ayodhya Bar Association has said that its members must not represent any of the accused in the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case or that violating the orders will lead them to face penalty of Rs 5 lakh.
As part of the decision, President of the Ram Temple Assembly Jiwan Lal Bera told Bar Association President Kalika Prasad Mishra that they had come to that resolution “with the view to consider the gravity of the allegations made by devotees offering donations at the Ram Temple.” Any advocate who decides to defend the accused against the decision of the Association will be held responsible for paying the fine.
The message is in the wake of what is currently being investigated as alleged donation embezzlement at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. In fact, the police had already filed an FIR and there are eight accused in this case, including some of the workers with the temple who were involved in counting money offerings.
The complaint was filed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which alleged that the accused was siphoning off donations using the CCTV images. Preliminary reports indicating that several crores of funds were misappropriated and the amount has yet to be determined.
This alleged donation theft has led to political debate on the matter and brought transparency and accountability demands from opposition leaders.
In the meantime, lawyers say that bar associations can deliver resolutions or advisories, but all Indian law allows accused individuals is a right to legal counsel and a fair trial. Police are also continuing the inquiry into the alleged theft and further charges are likely to be brought against the suspects based on the evidence gathered.
The case is still ongoing with police looking at financial records, CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the full extent of the alleged embezzlement.